The Village Cafe

by Eraine Rivera

extinguish the light inside you then there would be no one to stop her. You are the key to ending Ariana and this war.” Eraina rose and walked away. It burned me at how passive everyone was being about everything that happened. Rising I walked into the middle of the abandoned station and looked at everyone. They all seemed beaten and wanting to run and hide for the next millennium.

  “All right listen up guys! I’m tired of being attacked, it’s time to change the tempo of this beat and start attacking her. Now I know that there is a time and place for everything and our destinies are mapped out for us but I say fuck it! Let’s make our own destiny.”

  The others just looked at me like I had six heads. Eraina walked forward and stood beside me.

  “Devilynn is right.” Eraina said as she took hold of my hand.

  “You are mad!” Mortakie said as he rose from Rick’s side.

  “Am I Mortakie? For centuries I followed you around and trusted in your empty words. I love you and Helena but the both of you have kept me in the darkness for too long. I want to walk in the light.”

  “What are you saying Eraina?”

  “Ariana has to be stopped.” Eraina said.

  “Eraina we need to gather our forces. It will take some time to heal Rick.” Helena added.

  “Will it?” Eraina said as she walked over to Rick and knelt down. She turned and motioned for me to follow her. I knelt down beside Rick and looked into his tired eyes. Eraina grabbed my wrist and cut it open with her nail.

  “Eraina stop!” Helena said making her way over to us. Eraina waved her hand and knocked Helena back against the wall. She took my wrist and put it to Rick’s lips. He took hold of it and began to drink. I could feel the blood flow out of me and into Rick’s mouth. Memories floated pass me and into Rick. Eraina took her right wrist and cut it with her nail. She put her wrist to my lips and I drank. Visions floated pass my eyes and into my heart as my veins began to burn and my muscles spasm. We fed on one another for a few moments before we were pushed aside by Mortakie and Athena. The light that surrounded us disappeared and the darkness closed in. Eraina rose and slapped Mortakie across the face.

  “How dare you stop me!”

  “You cannot mix your blood with the new breeds. Devilynn knows everything now. She had to figure it out on her own.”

  “How when everyone she knows is dead? She cannot trace her family back.”

  “Yes she can.” Athena said stepping forward. Eraina looked at Athena then at me. I stood up as Athena made her way over to me. She gently took hold of my hands and looked into my eyes. A light flashed before my eyes.

  Athena was sitting on a bench by the water at the South Street Seaport staring out at the city blanketed in darkness. She smiled as she looked down at the bundle of joy in her arms. A baby with thick red hair cooed and giggled as a tiny hand reached out to grasp Athena’s finger. The baby took hold of her finger and smiled.

  Shadows lingered behind her watching Athena waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Athena sensed this and disappeared with the child in her arms. The other shadows chased her cornering her in an alleyway. Athena backed herself against the wall as Dine and the other closed in. Athena transformed into a demon with the child still in her arms and attacked the vampires that ran towards her. She killed most of them before Dine was able to drive a stake through her heart. Athena growled before flying away with the child. She kept flying until the sun began to rise over the horizon. Athena landed and transformed back to her human form. Quickly she tore the door open to a mausoleum and went in to hide away from the fast approaching daylight.

  At dusk she rose and wandered the cemetery stopping at a woman’s grave. She looked around as she placed the child on the ground and waited. A woman came out of the shadows.

  “You called for me Athena.”

  “I need you to keep her for me. Ariana is getting too close. You were always such a good friend to me all these years Lane.”

  Lane smiled as she knelt down and picked up the child.

  “Don’t worry about your little girl. I will keep her safe.” Lane said as she kissed Athena goodbye and left with the child. The light flashed again and I was back in the station. Athena looked at me with tears streaming down her face.

  “Is this a joke? Those were real memories you were showing me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I am your past, your ancestor, your mother.” Athena sobbed. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as I tried to gasp for breath. Athena held me tight.

  “Close your eyes and see for yourself.” Athena said as she kissed my forehead. It was after the last war and Satan came to demand Athena’s presence back in hell as part of the deal Mortakie made with the Devil. Reluctant Athena went and passed many centuries in hell. One day while Athena slept Satan entered her bedroom and raped her. As Athena laid there badly bruised Satan just laughed.

  “I cast you out of hell now. Guard the abomination in your womb with your life or I will make your existence a living hell.”

  Athena was thrown out of hell to modern day earth. She managed to track down Mortakie and he took care of her. One night they were attacked by slayers and had to flee to the United States where Ariana would not be able to find them. Athena stayed behind with Leviticus while the others returned to England. Not long after Athena gave birth to me. Dine and his men attacked her about three months later. I shook my head and looked at Athena. I wanted to see my mother with my own eyes. Her eyes were green and her hair was red, it was like looking into a mirror. I shook my head as it began to swarm with thoughts.

  “Wow. Did you guys get all of that? Were they able to see what you showed me?”

  “They didn’t have to see it, they lived it.” Athena said as she rose and helped me up. Rick was standing and looking better than ever.

  “What’s up?” Rick asked when he saw the tears in my eyes.

  “Let’s see Rick. I just met my mother and the Devil is my father. That explains my name and the flaming red hair.” I said smiling. Rick looked at me like I was really starting to lose it. Mortakie went on to explain everything I saw. Rick sat down on the ground when Mortakie finished and took a deep breath. I laughed.

  “So Devilynn is one powerful chick. You’re like what 90% demon and 10% vampire? Wicked.” Belinda said as she lit a cigarette.

  “I guess so. Why would Satan rape you then toss you out with his kid?” I asked my mother. Athena explained that Satan hated Ariana. Satan tried many times to bring Ariana over to his side but she was her own force and refused to take a side. Satan explained that Ariana would be the undoing of earth’s balance and would end all existence as we know it.

  “That’s all he told you?”

  “I’m afraid so. Your father is the Devil and he’s a secretive man.”

  “Well he’s gotta give me some answers. I need to find him.”

  “You cannot find your father, he must come looking for you.” Athena said as a wall of flame erupted in front of me. Athena went to enter it but she was thrown back. I heard a voice in my head telling me not to be afraid and enter the flames. Slowly I walked through and made it to the other side unharmed. I looked around to see broken platforms with fire shooting out around them. I stood on the larger platform and turned to see the Devil himself in all his glory before me. His body was large, muscular and red as brimstone. His face was carved in stone and drenched in evil while his thick black horns raised to the sky in triumph. Satan smiled at my dumbfounded expression.

  “Welcome my child. I know this is all overwhelming but it’s home.”

  “Um I have some questions for ya pop.” Satan roared with laughter.

  “You have my sense of humor.”

  “And my mother’s low tolerance for bullshit.”

  “Right to the point. So you want to know why Satan would father a child. I fathered many but you were the
most important. I have my place in the scheme of things and cannot become the evil that balances out the good. Since Ariana refuses to birth a child of darkness she has thrown off the balance and has the advantage in the war. I do appreciate her dispatching most of these vampires for me but now she is after my army and I cannot have that.”

  “So what are you getting at?” Satan went on to explain that since Ariana didn’t bear a child of darkness Satan had to do it. Ariana reveled in her evil for so long that she was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with on both sides. It seemed that Ariana could not be destroyed unless there was a child born of darkness to take her place. Satan raped a demonic vampire so she would give birth to a demon full of untapped evil. If this evil existed in the world than Ariana could be destroyed without upsetting the balance. That’s why Athena got rid of me. Ariana couldn’t find me because I was more demon than vampire but as long as Athena cared for me Ariana would be able to find her.

  “Wait. I’m the one that can stop Ariana, not Eraina.”

  “I never said that my child. Now that you have been turned into a vampire and tasted the pure blood of goodness your powers will increase. You will become the darkness to Eraina’s inner light then Ariana can be destroyed.”

  “How do we kill her if we can’t even find her?”

  “Evil always finds evil. Thanks for coming to visit your old man.” Satan finished as flames shot up around me. I was back